大意：有一个慢性子的人，冬天与别人围炉取暖，见别人衣服的边角被火烧着了，于是慢吞吞地对那人说：“有一件事，我早就发现了，想对您说，又怕您沉不住气；不对您说，又怕您损失太多，那么到底是说好呢还是不说好呢？”那人问到底是什么事。回答说：“火烧着您的衣服边了。”那人于是赶快把火灭了，对他吼道：“既已发现，为什么不早告诉我？”慢性子人说：“我说您会性急的吧，果不其然！”

《火烧裳尾》

有人性宽缓，冬日共人围炉，见人裳尾为火所烧，乃曰：“有一事，见之已久，欲言之，恐君性急；不言，恐君伤太多，然则言之是耶，不言之是耶？”人问何事，曰：“火烧君裳。”隧收衣火灭，大怒曰：“见之久，何不早道？”其人曰：“我言君性急，果是。”

--宋无名氏<<籍川笑林>>

A Fiery Temper

A group of people were sitting around a stove on a wintry day when one man of phlegmatic temperament suddenly announced to one of those present: “I have noticed something going on for some time now, but have hesitated to tell you, since I know you are hot-tempered. Yet should I fail to inform you before long, I fear you may sustain bodily injury. Shall I go ahead and tell you or not?”

“Well, be out with it, man!” the hot-tempered fellow exclaimed. Consequently, the first man shouted: “Your robe is on fire, sir!” The victim of the blaze immediately ripped off his own robe and stamped out the flames. Enraged, he cursed the other, saying: “Since you already knew for some time that my clothing was burning, why the devil didn’t you tell me earlier?” “You see!” the first man chortled. “Just as I have said, I knew you’d get angry no matter what I did!”

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